Dr. Shipp was a very effective administrator. He was well organized and he hired good people around him, and he encouraged us to be active and involved in the community and to build our programs - Dr. George Kemp Few people have the opportunity to see a University planned, built, and grow right before their eyes. As chancellor of LSUS during its inception in 1965, it is safe to say that Dr. Shipp helped to mold LSUS into the prestigious university that it is today. In Feb. 1965, Dr. Shipp was appointed Dean of LSU Shreveport and given the responsibility of planning and starting the new campus, which opened Oct. 1, 1967 as a two-year commuter college with an enrollment of 807 students. For the first fall semester, LSUS had a staff of four librarians, five administrators, and 35 faculty members. Dr. Shipp served as head of the campus in his role as Dean of the College and department chairman of all the departments offering courses at that time. Dr. Shipp was officially appointed as Chancellor of LSUS in 1973. In the same year, Dr. Shipp and his colleagues began to seek long-range plans to secure a four-year university status. With the help of key members of the LSUS community, William Bronson, The Shreveport Times publisher and Vice Chairman of the Coordinating Council for Higher Education, and the legislative approval granted by Governor Edwin Edwards, the growing university triumphed with the successful four-year status.
Dr. Shipp was known for his work ethic and delightful personality that made him friends with almost everyone. He was also known for being ahead of his time, hiring several women staff members in administration and other supportive roles, where other universities only hired women as teachers. Shortly before his retirement in December 1979, Dr. Shipp said his hope for LSUS was that it would continue to thrive and provide a high quality education for its students. There have been frustrations and disappointments in securing building programs, but it all adds up to what you might expect to be the problems encountered anywhere in starting a new university campus, but I am retiring with a great sense of satisfaction that we have developed a very fine campus here, Dr. Shipp said. I think we have a very good, dedicated faculty and I believe that our reputation in the community and among all the campuses in the state is good. We put emphasis on having good programs and upholding high standards. I am very proud to have played the role that I have in helping this campus to be established. Dr. Shipp was an exceptional individual- a terrific leader who was at ease with anyone and everyone associated with LSU Shreveport, said LSUS Chancellor Dr. Larry Clark. We benefit every day from his original vision, hard work and great achievements associated with LSU Shreveport. Dr. Shipp is survived by two daughters, Mitzi Shipp Theo and Susie Shipp Kelly. Visitation services will be at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home on Wednesday, August 17 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Funeral services are scheduled for Thursday, August 18 at 2:00 p.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home. Handmade & Handwritten Open now through mid-october James Smith Noel Collection 3 rd floor Noel Memorial Library, LSUS Not everything in the Noel Collection was made on a printing press! This new exhibit includes a variety of handwritten letters, hand-drawn cartoons, and hand-made scrapbooks. You can even explore the behind-the-scenes genius of Tennessee Williams with an unpublished, hand-corrected manuscript of one of his plays! Let these materials inspire your own masterpieces as the school year begins. Come visit us in the Noel Collection to learn more! We re open Sundays from 2-6 p.m. and Mondays 8am-9pm, Tuesdays-Fridays from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For more information or to arrange a tour, contact Martha Lawler at 318-798-4163 or Martha.Lawler@lsus.edu, or visit us online at jsnoelcollection.org.
During the last Deans Council meeting, Kristie Weeks received the Deans Council award. This award goes to a faculty or staff member whose work supports the academic units of the campus across all disciplinary areas. The Deans Council nominates and then votes on potential recipients. Ms. Weeks has done an outstanding job as Director of Online Learning and Faculty Development and has played a key role in rebuilding professional development opportunities on campus. Congratulations to Kristie! New hires: Unclassified: Harry Skip Harper, Jr. - Interim Director of Facility Services Lucas Morgan - Director of Athletics Curtis Loyd - Head Coach, Women s Basketball Jennifer Flynn-McKevitt - Director, Career Services Jackie Reed Interim Assistant to the Chancellor Faculty (Fall 2016): Ms. Victoria Hrody - Associate Professor, Arts and Media Ms. Samantha Barbour- Assistant Professor, Arts and Media
Dr. Tasha Peart - Assistant Professor, Kinesiology and Health Sciences Dr. Marshae McNeal - Assistant Professor, Kinesiology and Health Sciences Mr. Mohamad Darrat - Assistant Professor, Management and Marketing Dr. Kenneth Kungu - Associate Professor, Management and Marketing Dr. Alireza Izaddoost - Assistant Professor, Computer Science Dr. Debbie Shepherd Visiting Associate Professor, Mathematics Internal transfers / promotions: Brent Lavallee - Interim Head Coach, Baseball Retirements: Elizabeth Sheppard - American Studies Carl Anderson - Facility Services Dr. Dalton Gossett - College of Arts and Sciences 1. Welcome New Faculty. This week we officially welcome seven new tenure-track faculty and a new dean to our LSUS team. It is great to again have the need for a new faculty orientation. The State of Louisiana budget will likely continue to be a challenge to us, possibly even during this fiscal year. However, for now, let s celebrate that we are welcoming new colleagues and are starting this new academic year with a solid budget situation. 2. Larry Anderson. John Vassar announced the search committee for the next Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, to begin 7/1/17. What John did not mention is that Larry Anderson will continue as part of the CAS leadership team, as Associate Dean. This is great news. No one at LSUS cares more for students and is a greater advocate for faculty than Larry. It is also important to note that Dennis Wissing, Associate Dean at LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport, will chair this search committee. 3. LSU Major Campaign. Mike Brendler forwarded to me an article concerning the LSU Foundation and the announced 'transformational' capital campaign with a $1.2 billion goal: http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/article_3ba29a1c- 5b1e-11e6-b365-5710354175ab.html. Mike asked what s in it for LSUS, including faculty. Good question. Two weeks ago in Baton Rouge I met with LSU Foundation leadership and a Marts & Lundy consultant. It was an encouraging meeting. We discussed many things, including an advancement model I presented of SUNY- Potsdam, a 4,000 student university that just completed a $33M major campaign (that will be the focus of an upcoming LSUS Planning Council meeting). I believe
LSUS will benefit from the system-wide campaign and that we will be much better positioned thereafter for continuing fund-raising successes. 4. Meeting with President Alexander. Also while in Baton Rouge, I met with LSU President F. King Alexander for over 90 minutes. It was a very upbeat, fast-clip meeting. President Alexander is very concerned that our undergraduate enrollment is continuing to decline. We discussed our need to more effectively recruit students, including BPCC, SUSLA, international, military veteran and non-traditional students, and to better retain all students. He is pleased with the early success of our new LSUS Student Success Center, led by Correy Hammond, and our graduate programs, especially our online MBA program with over 900 students. 5. Departures. As summer was ending we lost two long-time valuable colleagues to other opportunities: Viki Fentress and Al Cantwell. Both had great impact during their time at LSUS. Viki was the glue for so many things that happened at LSUS- from her work supporting advancement, to helping coordinate campus matters to support of both Paul Sisson and myself as chancellors. Al was a terrific baseball coach. However, his greatest impact may have occurred off the field in support of his players in the classroom and in their preparation for graduate school and/or career. Best wishes to both. 6. Back on the Team. We are most fortunate that Jackie Reed has come back to help us at LSUS. She was a stellar LSUS team member prior to retirement and is serving as the Interim Assistant to the Chancellor while we search for a permanent replacement for Viki Fentress. In addition, Skip Harper, formerly head of retail/operations with Goodwill, has come out of retirement to serve as our Interim Director of Facilities. It is great to have both with us.